The utilization of toothbrushes to clean one's teeth has long been known. A typical toothbrush includes a handle region, a neck region, and a head region. The neck region typically is disposed between and attaches the handle region to the head region.
Toothbrushes generally have a plurality of bristles disposed in the head region which extend outward from the head region. The head region generally includes a toe and a heel. The heel is generally joined to the neck region while the toe generally corresponds to an area of the head region which is proximate to a tip of the toothbrush. Typically, the user will utilize the toe of the toothbrush to reach the back teeth and for targeted cleaning.
In general, a user will typically apply a dentifrice to the bristles of the toothbrush and brush his/her teeth with the toothbrush and dentifrice combination. A user typically will apply a brushing force to the toothbrush to ensure that his/her teeth are adequately cleaned. This can be an arduous task due to the nature of the teeth. For example, the buccal or outer surfaces of the teeth may benefit more from a toothbrush with a concave bristle contour while the lingual and/or inner surfaces of the teeth may benefit more from a convex bristle contour. As such, the user may apply the brushing force in order to attempt to conform the head region to the oral surface to be cleaned.
However, because some conventional toothbrushes are relatively rigid, the brushing force required to conform the head region may cause damage to soft oral tissues and/or other oral surfaces. For example, in some conventional toothbrushes the bristles arranged toward the center of the head region can bear more of the brushing force than its other bristle counterparts. This localized brushing force can cause damage to the gums and wear the tooth enamel more than is necessary.
Consequently, a need exists for an oral hygiene implement which has a flexible head. Moreover, a need exists for an oral hygiene implement which reduces the brushing force which is born by the center of the head region of the oral implement.